Timo Tolkki (stratovarius)

STRATOVARIUS' Timo Tolkki To Produce Debut Album For INFERNOISE


STRATOVARIUS' Timo Tolkki has posted the following update:

"I will be producing the debut album of the Madrid/Spain based metalheads INFERNOISE ( http://www.infernoise.com ) between November and January 2007.

The recordings will be done in Madrid and mix at Sonic Pump Studios in Helsinki."

Further updates as more info becomes available.

STRATOVARIUS' Timo Tolkki - "I Have Written 11 New Songs"; Album Due Next October

STRATOVARIUS guitarist Timo Tolkki has issued the following update:

"I have written 11 new songs and we are first going to demo them. This will be completed by the end of the year and we will enter the studio to record that actual album around February. TIMO KOTIPELTO is releasing his third solo album around that time (and what I have heard, it sounds really great) as well and he has naturally promotional activities and I think he is also doing a tour during Spring. Stratovarius production will be ready sometime in the summer 2007 and depending on various different things, the album, entitled R...... R......., will be released in October 2007 or in the beginning of 2008 followed by a massive world tour. So all okay here, everybody´s happy, the songs are great and we are looking forward to the new adventures."

STRATOVARIUS Guitarist TIMO TOLKKI Heads To Germany To Record Drum Tracks For New Album

As previously reported, STRATOVARIUS guitarist Timo Tolkki is currently working on material for the band's next album, with a late 2007/early 2008 release expected. He issued the following update prior to heading to Germany to work on the drums with Jörg Michael:

"Packing...why do I always have to leave it to the last moment? Aaargh this is hopeless, what do I need? This and that, and more of that...man...I have to get up at 5 for 7:25 flight.

Do I have everything now? Couldn´t someone just come here and do this for me? No? I guess I have to do it myself. I have the hard disk, with the clicks for the new songs and I played some guitars already. I had to learn the songs again, because I kind of forgot them during the tour:) I´ll be back on Tuesday with lots of photos and hard disk full of Jörg´s drums.

It starts again!! And it´s gonna be cool. Looking forward to that 200 gig world tour...

Halloween? Haven´t even noticed..."

Loooooove, Timo

STRATOVARIUS Guitarist Timo Tolkki: "Drums Recorded, Back Home"

As previously reported, STRATOVARIUS guitarist Timo Tolkki is currently working on material for the band's next album, with a late 2007/early 2008 release expected.

He has issued the following update:

"So I woke up at 4:30 on Saturday morning and started to pack Thanks ladies for offering to help me out in packing, but I guess is should already learn that myself after travelling around the world a hundred times.

Took a taxi and headed for the airport, checked in and went through the security control, which is much tighter here now as well. Flight was okay, small Embraer plane that FinnAir bought some time ago. No leg space, fair enough. I'm 192 cm, maybe they could think of "us" tall guys sometimes, those greedy fuckers.

Anyways at Dusseldorf I was picked by Jyrki Mikkola, ie Jörg, and we went to studio to check out things, but then he had to change winter tires and I thought I'd join him and we had a nice lunch in a Chinese restaurant, while the guys at the studio where putting the microphones to Jörg´s kit.

Then I checked into the hotel and Jörg had booked me a nice suite. The whole hotel, including the carpet in my room, was full of fleur de lys: ) Oh and the name of the hotel was Castlehotel Goldsmith. Cool!!

Then we headed for the studio and I adjusted the mics and the sounds and then we called it a day.

On Sunday we started to record and it went very smoothly, all was cool and there were no problems. I was happy to hear that the songs work very well with Jörg's drumming as well as opposed to my original demos that I always do with a drum machine.

Yeah, so the place was kind of a small demo studio, but it worked well for our purposes, just to test how the songs really work and how they sound.

I enjoyed the days very much and this morning took a flight back with the same goddamn small leg space plane with hard disc full of Jörg´s drums, which I will now edit and then we continue with bass etc... and as you can see from the pics, I won't unpack this time.

Cheers, Timo."

STRATOVARIUS' Timo Tolkki Issues Update On INFERNOISE, Solo Career, VISION DIVINE

STRATOVARIUS' leader Timo Tolkki has posted the following message at his MySpace page:

"Flying to Madrid to do the (Madrid based metalheads) INFERNOISE production basics. I'll be there 3 weeks. Thank God it's not so hot this time of the year there, otherwise it would be Infernoise for me. I love cold, snow and rain. Well being from the north. We Finnish people are extreme, first we can be outside when it's -35 Celsius and after that go to sauna that has +100 Celsius.

The plan for my solo career is beginning to take shape too. Soon after New Year I will be able to tell you more detailed plans about this. In January I will go to Venice, Italy to produce the next album of Italian prog-metallers VISION DIVINE.

And last but not least, the work for Stratovarius demo is proceeding, all guitars and basses have been recorded and while I am in Spain, TK (singer Timo Kotipelto) and (keyboardist) Jens (Johansson )will do their parts. The caravan goes on and on and on....."

STRATOVARIUS Guitarist TIMO TOLKKI Working On Rock Opera

STRATOVARIUS guitarist TIMO TOLKKI has issued the following update:

"Saana-Warrior Of Light ... is a work in progress. For two years I have had this idea in my head and it won´t leave me be. It will be a Rock Opera, but not in a sense that many of the records using 'rock or metal opera' are. All the singers in this are carefully chosen and I have been auditioning singers already six months. So it´s not just that I invite some famous names to sing something. The character that sings the part really has to fit and feel the meaning of the music and lyrics. I have spent quite some time with the top candidates to get to know them personally. This is very important when I will write the music. And I prefer them to be new talents. During X-mas I have been writing the story and it just pours out of me. I am writing it in Finnish, but I will translate it in English after it´s ready. I have been negotiating with several record companies about this release and the interest has been very good. There will be a press release in a bout a month and a website dedicated for this project. Then the cast will be revealed as well. There have been some rumours about TARJA TURUNEN (ex-NIGHTWISH) playing the main role but those are untrue. Although I first wanted a Finnish person for the main role, the story has evolved so much that it is not necessary anymore. And last but not least, I want to wish all of you, who hopefully survived the X-mas madness, a happy and fulfilling 2007. May your dreams come true!!"

STRATOVARIUS Guitarist TIMO TOLKKI Signs With Frontiers For Rock Opera SAANA - WARRIOR OF LIGHT

Frontiers has issued the following press release:

Frontiers Records is proud to announce the signing of a brand new and exciting musical project.

Timo Tolkki, the Finnish Grammy award winning guitar player who has sold 1.5 million records with his power metal genre pioneering band STRATOVARIUS, has taken the next step in his 20 year music career.

SAANA - WARRIOR OF LIGHT is a Classic Rock Opera featuring seven characters and numerous musicians (including Tolkki himself) who will collaborate in this ambitious project. The result is a unique sound, unlike anything ever heard before… from soaring majestic heights to soft and gentle moments and everything in between. It also tells a very dramatic tale.

Saana - Warrior Of Light is the story of a woman who makes an unforgettable journey that changes her life and view of the universe forever. On her journey, she will discover the biggest secret of mankind… and her own destiny.

Warrior Of Light introduces 29 year old Jennifer Sowle from the USA as Saana, the main character. She is a classically trained opera singer with a Master’s degree in music.

Saana - Warrior Of Light will be released in autumn 2007 with more details to be announced in the coming weeks.

More info at www.saana-warrioroflight.com .

TIMO TOLKKI Issues Update On Classic Rock Opera Project; Former STRATOVARIUS Bass Player Confirmed For Recordings

As previously reported, STRATOVARIUS guitarist Timo Tolkki is in the process of composing a classic rock opera going under the name SAANA - WARRIOR OF LIGHT. He has issued the following update:

"The last round of casting for the characters of Saana is on its way. It means I have to do some travelling in the next weeks to come. Still writing the story too. All I can say that what I am doing has never been done before in music and in lyrics. I could easily write 20 Stratovarius styled songs and invite some known guests and call that 'rock opera', but I don´t wanna do anything like that. Saana will be something totally different, both musically and lyrically. I call this a Classic Rock Opera and you will know why. To me this is like a film turned to music. And maybe one day, someone makes a film about this. The story would fit....perfectly.

I was in touch with ex Strato, current MESS bass player Jari Kainulainen and asked him to play the bass on this one and he said sure. I am happy because he is one of the best bass players in the world.

And somewhere in between all travelling, I´m gonna spend time in Venice Italy in producing a new VISION DIVINE album called 25th Hour."

All my best,
Timo

The following is Frontiers Records press release for Saana - Warrior Of Light:

Frontiers Records is proud to announce the signing of a brand new and exciting musical project.

Timo Tolkki, the Finnish Grammy award winning guitar player who has sold 1.5 million records with his power metal genre pioneering band Stratovarius, has taken the next step in his 20 year music career.

SAANA - WARRIOR OF LIGHT is a Classic Rock Opera featuring seven characters and numerous musicians (including Tolkki himself) who will collaborate in this ambitious project. The result is a unique sound, unlike anything ever heard before… from soaring majestic heights to soft and gentle moments and everything in between. It also tells a very dramatic tale.

Saana - Warrior Of Light is the story of a woman who makes an unforgettable journey that changes her life and view of the universe forever. On her journey, she will discover the biggest secret of mankind… and her own destiny.

Warrior Of Light introduces 29 year old Jennifer Sowle from the USA as Saana, the main character. She is a classically trained opera singer with a Master’s degree in music.

Saana - Warrior Of Light will be released in autumn 2007 with more details to be announced in the coming weeks.

More info at www.saana-warrioroflight.com .

Timo Tolkki (Stratovarius) est sur un énorme projet d'opera rock : "Saana - Warrior Of Light".

Celui ci fera appel à sept personnages et de nombreux musiciens.
L'histoire est celle d'une femme interprétée par Jennifer Sowle (29 ans chanteuse américaine d'opéra).

Le premier nom connu a collaboré à ce projet est Jari Kainulainen, l'ex-bassiste de Stratovarius (celui qui justement s'était fait virer pour incompatibilité avec Tolkki !)

STRATOVARIUS Guitarist Timo Tolkki: "Tradition Is A Real Enemy Of Freedom And Creativity

STRATOVARIUS guitarist Timo Tolkki has posted the following message at his MySpace page:

"I am getting lot of wishes for whatever particular feast is going on in whatever country. Let it be known that I don't celebrate birthdays, Christmas, any Finnish feast (juhannus etc) or any traditional feast at all. So please do not send me wishes like that.

Most of the big feasts are just fed by the society and tradition and being followed by like a dog on a leash by the masses enslaved by the capitalistic machinery. Consume consume!!

Tradition is a real enemy of freedom and creativity. I refuse to be a prisoner of that.

I live my life completely outside society and I am only in minimum contact with any part of it.

It's a beast that is in no control of itself no more, although its participants think its under control. I dislike neurotic people who hide their true face behind the mask and cover it with meaningless chit chat. You can tell a lot about a person when you listen to how she/he laughs. Very seldomly you come to a contact with a person who is not scared. Everybody is so scared these days. And rightly so.

But our basic nature, our basic core is not scared, it is at peace. Our organisms are just polluted by centuries of brainwashing from different kind of authoritatrian institutes and family systems that dont allow ourselves to think freely...

For any kind of revolution to take place, it starts on an individual level. From yourself. I am sick and tired of watching the present system systematically destroying healthy life by distorting backwards everything that is healthy. For sure, the only way to save this planet would be a massive global revolution by people who care about the future.

The present countries and governments will not do anything to prevent the catastrophy that is happening."

Stratovarius are working on their next studio album, expected out in early 2008.

STRATOVARIUS Guitarist Timo Tolkki - "New Album Is On Ice At The Moment"

STRATOVARIUS guitarist Timo Tolkki has issued the following update:

"Writing this from the ancient city of Kyoto that used to be the capital of Japan. Huge amount of temples and sightseeing to do here. Both Tokyo shows were more than cool, more people than year ago, even without new album.

Time difference is still getting to me...weird, usually it goes away in one week. Anyway, thanks for all the Japanese fans once again for your love. It all started for Stratovarius here back in 91 and since then it´s been always so cool to play here.

New album is "on ice" at the moment, the drums have been recorded and I am fully concentrating on Saana-Warrior Of Light and TK (singer Timo Kotipelto) is doing some solo gigs for his album and we do have gigs with Strato as well. You can expect the release for my opera late this year and for R..... R...... either April or September 2008 followed by a massive world tour."